SickKids tips for raising a Healthy & Happy heir

Dr. Jeremy Friedman, Head of Paediatric Medicine and Associate Paediatrician-in-Chief at SickKids, shared some advice for the new royal parents of what lies ahead in an interview with CTV Toronto.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have selected a name for their newly born prince: George Alexander Louis. Now, that the future King of England has a name, let’s have a look at some of the other important bits of advice for his parents:

Breast is best: “It is among the best things you can do for your child. It helps with bonding, has significant health benefits for the new prince and, since research shows that it consumes plenty of calories, can also help the Duchess get back into shape more quickly,” said Dr. Friedman. “And of course this would also please her father-in-law as breastfeeding is very environmentally friendly, too.”

Don’t forget the vaccines: “Despite what some celebrities may say, vaccinating your child can be one of the best decisions you will ever make. It is the single biggest medical advance in preventing serious illness and death in children from a host of dangerous infectious diseases.”

Get the Duke involved: “Fathers may feel a little left out in the beginning, because they obviously cannot breastfeed. However, it is important for the unity of the family that fathers get involved right from the get go,” said Dr. Friedman. “I heard that Prince William already got a chance to change the baby’s first diaper – or ‘nappy’ as they are known in the UK – so he seems to be on the right track.”

Follow your instincts: “The most important ingredients for good parenting are lots of love, some patience and common sense. The royal couple seem to have these in abundance. They should follow their instincts and ignore unsolicited albeit well meaning advice (with the exception of this one) regardless of who their grandmother is!’

These are just some of the tips William and Catherine can observe to keep Baby George a healthy & happy heir. To guide the new parents, Dr. Friedman is contemplating sending a copy of his Canadian bestseller “Canada’s Baby Care Book” to Kensington Palace. Written by SickKids paediatricians and edited by Dr. Friedman, this guide was created with new parents in mind.